Topic of the Month March 2015

Accessible construction

Public as well as private buildings are still usually not sufficiently designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities. But the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities also includes this aspect for the purpose of inclusion. What has to be thought of concerning accessible construction, you will get to know in our Topic of the Month March.

Accessible construction in the public domain

Photo: Entrance area with a ramp and stairs; © panthermedia.net/Maria Reichenauer

Whether people with or without disabilities, whether young or old – buildings with accessibility provide benefits for everyone in society. But reality still looks different. The argument that accessible construction is too expensive is often put on the table, but it only partially reflects the truth. When accessibility is taken into account in construction from the beginning, there are barely any additional costs.

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A different perspective on accessible construction

Photo: Subway station orientation system for blind people; © Dirk Michalski

Is the access ramp too steep? Do two centimeters really make a difference when it comes to a threshold? Architects and city planners are always confronted with these types of questions. If they don’t have any impairments themselves, they tend to quickly render the wrong verdict. This is why construction decision makers, who can assess barriers based on their own experience, are in great demand.

Read the article with Dirk Michalski